Zhu B, Fung K, Feng HH, Beatty JA, Hill F, Tse ACN. The hemagglutinin proteins of clades 1 and 2.3.4.4b H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses exhibit comparable attachment patterns to avian and mammalian tissues. J Virol. 2025 Sep 23:e0097625
The global spread of the A/goose/Guangdong/1/96-lineage H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses has been accompanied by an expanded host range and the establishment of sustained viral transmission among dairy cattle. To evaluate if the evolving H5N1 viruses have changed tissue tropism over time, we compared the binding patterns of recombinant hemagglutinin (HA) proteins derived from clade 1 (A/Vietnam/1203/04, H5VN) and circulating clade 2.3.4.4b viruses detected from wild bird (A/Eurasian Teal/Hong Kong/AFCD-HKU-23-14009-01020/2023, H5HK) and dairy cattle (A/bovine/Ohio/B24OSU-439/2024, H5OH). The HA protein of A(H1N1)pdm09 virus was included for comparison. Using bio-layer interferometry, H1 protein preferentially bound to the α2,6-linked sialoside 6´SLNLN, while H5 proteins preferentially bound to the α2,3-linked sialoside 3´SLN. H5OH showed higher binding affinity to 3´SLN than H5HK and H5VN. The attachment patterns of H1 and H5 proteins to the respiratory tissues of different species and dairy cattle mammary glands were evaluated. Compared to the H1 protein, H5 proteins showed stronger binding to the lung epithelial cells of cat, cattle, chicken, ferret, human, and pig, and the clade 2.3.4.4b H5 proteins exhibited increased binding to pig and cattle bronchial epithelial cells. All H5 proteins were attached to the alveolar and cistern epithelial cells in mammary glands, where α2,3-linked and α2,6-linked sialyl glycans were detected by Maackia amurensis lectin II and Sambucus nigra lectin, respectively. Taken together, the HA proteins of clade 1 and 2.3.4.4b H5N1 viruses generally share comparable attachment patterns to avian and mammalian tissues, despite evolving into antigenically distinct clades over the past 3 decades.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- Analysis of the gene sequences of two cases of human infection with avian influenza H9N2 in Guizhou province in 2024 1 hours ago
- Influenza hijacks myeloid cells to inflict type-I interferon-fueled damage in the heart 2 hours ago
- MHC class II functions as a host-specific entry receptor for representative human and swine H3N2 influenza A viruses 2 hours ago
- Longitudinal Surveillance of Influenza A Virus Exposure in Wild Boars (Sus scrofa) in Spain (2015-2023): Serologic and Virologic Evidence of Subtype Infections and H5N1 Spillover Risk 2 hours ago
- [preprint]Emergence and antigenic characterisation of influenza A(H3N2) viruses with hemagglutinin substitutions N158K and K189R during the 2024/25 influenza season 21 hours ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]


